Cutout Concept Makes a Phone Part of Its Own User Manual

As smartphones get smarter, they get more complicated as well. But when’s the last time you sat down and read the instruction manual that came with your new phone? Never?

This “Out of the Box” concept from Clara Gaggero proposes the idea of a user manual with a cutout section for your phone. So you drop your handset inside and then follow along as little arrows and icons show you which buttons to press in order to access certain features. It may be a bit basic for people who have been using gadgets for a while but I imagine it could catch on with older generations looking to get the most out of their phones.

There are a couple more concepts, such as a big map that shows all the menus and submenus contained within each home screen icon and a card-based concept that lets users add features to their phones one at a time.

For instance:

“A set of cards represents every function inside the phone which users can flick through and discover. The phone is supplied empty, and users add the functions they want by tapping a card onto the screen.

Cards can be carried in your wallet so functions can be accessed on the move. To encourage learning, the back of the card explains what the function does, and how to reach it using the menus.”